Hello all, I have recently adopted a 10 month old GSD which has been a outdoor with little to no training. I have started to teach him a few tricks such as come, sit and reward good behaviour with treats, pats and good praise. But I'm struggling with how to discipline him when he does something wrong? When I catch him doing something wrong I say no in a firm tone and to leave it, to which he will either come to me and receive a reward, then he goes straight back to what he is doing to which I have to repeat myself. Or he wanders away for 5 steps then he is straight back to being naughty again. He has also ripped up his bed aswell as a blanket we have given him during the day even after putting all of his toys outside.? I have not been able to hang clothes outside to dry as I am worried he will tear them to shreds is there a way to stop the problem before it gets really bad ?

When you call him away from something inappropriate, you should give him something appropriate to do, like party with a tug, ball, or chew toy. This way he not only learns what he shouldn't do, but also what he should be doing. I would not punish him, because he doesn't know what is expected of him.

i wouldn't worry about it too much. it takes time to train what behaviors are not allowed. if he immediately goes back to what he was doing wrong after being told no give him a time out. drag him to his cage and put him in there for at least 5 minutes. don't let him out if he's barking or crying.

after a year a still have to remind my dog to take her head out of the trash once in a while.

At this point, he is like a massive 6 week old puppy. Only worse, he probably has hormones if he isn't neutered. It is going to take a lot of redirection from the bad behaviors to good behaviors before he understands what you expect. The most frustrating period of training a dog for me is when the dog clearly understands what you expect, but chooses to ignore you. I love to see that light bulb go off when they finally get it.

Ditto GSD- 6 years old
Daisy Alaskan Husky- 4 years old
Weegee Toy Poodle- 2 years old

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I agree that though he's big, treat him like a teeny puppy. You wouldn't leave a small child alone in the yard to wander off, same as NOT leaving a puppy in the yard to destroy your laundry/dig holes/bark at neighbors.

So just keep him with you so you CAN correct the bad/praise the good. And it does take repetition and consistancy. You may not only want to distract/reward in place with a treat but instead get him much further away (run to kitchen and treat jar?) and then have him go thru a bunch of GOOD behaviors that he can be rewarded for.

Bigggest thing for me is to be proactive and make plans on my calendar for dog classes, exercise, and socialization trips. All including a car ride AWAY from the home. Meeting up with friends and their pups. Hanging around downtown. Going to the farmers market. Hiking. Canoeing. Playing frisbee. Mental and physical activities for a few hours every other day make my dogs AMAZINGLY smarter and better behaved!

Thanks a lot for the info I will try a different approach then. I have tried to keep him distracted by playing fetch with him but he gets side tracked by our rabbit in its cage. But it only seems to be when we are outside with him? I will hang some clothes that doesn't matter if they get destroyed and watch him for a couple of hours to see if he does tear them, and if he does start I will go out there and try the method you guys have said to do.. I understand it will take time to get use to doing the right and wrong things and Seeing as he is in his terror period and not being desexed is going to make it a bit more difficult. All in all he has been a very good dog so far I just think he is getting bored and lonely. He came from the breeders where he was around other dogs to being the only dog and my partner and I work during the day.. Is there any specific toys I should look at getting him? He seems to love toys that squeak. But will only play fetch with them.

i wouldn't worry about it too much. it takes time to train what behaviors are not allowed. if he immediately goes back to what he was doing wrong after being told no give him a time out. drag him to his cage and put him in there for at least 5 minutes. don't let him out if he's barking or crying.

after a year a still have to remind my dog to take her head out of the trash once in a while.

Hey mate I am not too sure if my dog has ever been taught how to use a crate do u think tying him up will have the same affect? We have a tree that's at the back of the yard which I can put a chain around to use in a last hope if he does not listen at all to put him In time out?

I wouldn't recommend using a crate or tie out for punishment. I put my dogs in the bathroom for time out (a few minutes only) but only for behaviors that t hey have already learned.

Example: Ditto knows she is not to leave the yard and that she is to come when called when off her lead. If she doesn't listen, she gets a 5 minute time out. It was worked extremely well for her.

Ditto GSD- 6 years old
Daisy Alaskan Husky- 4 years old
Weegee Toy Poodle- 2 years old

Always loved, missed, and remembered:

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.Dakota GSD mix 3/26/04-5/04/14To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

I adopted a 7 m/o recently. I have just waved the white flag on a lot of the things she chose to destroy, as they are not that important. I had some house shoes that were given to me, but did not fit, and when she started to chew them, I just let her. They have provided hours of entertainment, and she has not chewed anything else. Tearing up a bed might seem destructive, but I have seen dogs rip the siding off a house before, just because they were bored.

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